On Thursday, Dylan Crews slotted in as the No. 4 overall prospect when MLB Pipeline's midseason rankings were unveiled.
It hasn't taken him long to prove why he's considered so elite.
Crews was a one-man wrecking crew Sunday, with his first pro multihomer game as part of a five-hit, six-RBI afternoon for Single-A Fredericksburg. The hits, RBIs and four runs scored were career highs in his young career in a narrow 14-13 loss to Lynchburg at Bank of the James Stadium.
“Honestly, I feel great at the plate right now,” Crews said. “It took me a few games to kind of get acclimated, but my swings have been good. I got a couple of pitches that I was able to handle, and I didn't miss them.
“I felt like I managed the zone pretty well today. I think success often comes with managing the zone and swinging at strikes and taking balls. I feel like I did a good job of that today.”
The second overall prospect in this year's Draft by the Nationals crushed his first homer of the day -- a three-run blast to left field -- in the top of the first inning off right-hander Austin Peterson.
Two innings later, Crews launched another one off the Guardians prospect, this time to the opposite field and off the scoreboard in right.
The Nationals' top prospect has teed off four times in nine games since turning pro, but that only tells part of his story.
“I think he’s a table-setter for us at the top of the lineup,” FredNats manager Jake Lowery said. “He capped off a week with a five-hit game that he started with a four-hit game. He hit a lot of extra-base hits too.
“It was nice to see him pull the ball to left field for a home run and then he hit his face [on the scoreboard] again in right-center for another home run. He just did a really nice job for us with runners in scoring position.”
Crews also collected a trio of singles -- a couple to left and one to straightaway center -- showing his ability to spray the ball all over the field. Four of his knocks drove in at least one run.
“It’s a good feeling being able to use all parts of the field to get hits and hit for power," he said. "That's something I take pride in, and I have all the trust in my abilities to go out there and perform.
“That’s something that is kind of embedded in me. Ever since I was in college and even before. Any time there's a runner in scoring position, I have a job to do and that's my main goal. I'm gonna try my best to make that happen.”
The hit tool ranked a 70 by MLB Pipeline that made Crews a can’t-miss prospect in the Draft has been evident in the early going, with 13 hits in his first nine games as a pro. After one game in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, the former LSU standout headed to Fredericksburg.
“It seems like he’s getting a hit every inning, which is good, especially on a day like today," Lowery said. "He’s been getting on base, stealing bags, going from first to third base ... he's just that type of guy and I look forward to having him for years to come in the Nationals' system.”
Jalyn Smoot is a reporter/producer for MLB.com.
